Milma recommends Kerala govt to include skimmed milk powder, ghee in free ration kit

The Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) has recommended the Kerala government to include 200gm milk-powder and 100gm ghee in the free kit being distributed through the state's ration shops amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

For distributing 200gm Skimmed Milk Powder and 100gm ghee through every kit, Milma propose to use the excess procurement of milk.

Milma said that the Malabar Regional Milk Unions procures an average of 1.25 lakh litres of excess milk per day. Now Ernakulam Regional Milk Union is procuring enough milk for their own use. Thiruvananthapuram Regional Milk Union is balancing the short fall of milk by channeling the excess milk procured from Malabar Regional Union.

Even so, Milma is yet to make full use of the excess milk procured. Milma Chairman PA Balan informed that "to overcome this crisis, Milma is proposing to distribute 200gm Skimmed Milk Powder and 100gm ghee in the kit being given free of cost through the public distribution system, by Government. Currently, the kit has no milk product. Inclusion of Milma products will make the kit balanced and complete." Chairman informed that Milma has also decided to introduce Tetra Pack Milk.

Malabar Regional Co-operative Milk Producers Union Chairman K S M said that Malabar Union has an excess procurement of 1.25 lakh litres per day. "So, we are looking for increased sale of common milk products. The milk market in Kerala is yet to return to normal after the Covid - induced crisis."

Milma distributes milk to Anganwadis under the Health Protection Scheme for the benefit of the children besides pregnant women and lactating mothers. This project, which serves milk with a shelf-life of 90 days, began in Malabar and has now been extended to Ernakulam. Ernakulam Regional Milk Union Chairman, John Theruvath said that the milk reaches Anganwadi district coordinators through the supply chain of Milma.

( With inputs from ANI )